If you won Wednesday night's Powerball drawing, try to resist the urge to tell everyone you know — there will be many people who want a piece of the pie. Hire a lawyer who can help you figure out how to claim your winnings and protect your privacy.

You'll have a choice to claim your winnings in the form of a lump sum or an annuity. The annuity is a series of 30 annual payments, which increase by 5% each year.

Choosing the lump sum might sound tempting, but you'll get less than the face value of the prize. The cash payout is about $480 million.

Business Insider's resident personal-finance expert, Lauren Lyons Cole, recommends taking the series of payouts as opposed to the lump sum.

"Most people would do better to choose the annuity rather than the lump sum," she wrote. "Unless you're supremely good with money and already have a team of advisers who have proved themselves over time, the annuity is the more cautious choice."

There have been plenty of stories about lottery winners who have seen their lives fall apart after the cash windfall. And some studies have found that lottery winners often have a harder time finding enjoyment in life after winning.